Former Peterson attorney sues replacement, Tribune

Joel Brodsky, an attorney who represented Drew Peterson before he withdrew from the legal team in October, has filed a libel lawsuit against attorney Steven Greenberg and Tribune Co., among others.

Brodsky says that a letter obtained by the Chicago Tribune from Greenberg, an attorney on Peterson's legal team, contained material that was "false and misleading," according to the lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court. Brodsky's lawsuit claims Greenberg's letter was "a false narrative" designed to defame Brodsky as revenge for Brodsky's attempt to fire Greenberg as one of Peterson's attorneys.

The lawsuit states that the letter defamed Brodsky by claiming he was a liar and an incompetent lawyer, among other counts.

After Peterson was found guilty in September of the 2004 murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, the lawsuit says Greenberg had motive to defame Brodsky, so the blame of losing the case would be placed solely on Brodsky.

The letter put Brodsky's law office "in a false light in the public eye," causing him to lose out on profits, according to the suit.

Brodsky is represented by Chicago attorney Walter P. Maksym, who said in a statement Wednesday that he is confident Brodsky will win the case and "that his good name will be cleared and his professional reputation will be restored."